Luna and the Lie
The problem with secrets is that they always reveal themselves one way or another. It's inevitable. No matter how much you didn't want people to know about your deep dark past, it always resurfaces somehow, which was the case for Luna.
Luna Allen, the novel's main character has done some things she'll prefer no one knew, but while most people would want to go back in time to change some of the things they did, Luna doesn't regret what she did, and wouldn't change a single thing.
This novel would have come out in so many beautiful ways if there had been no slow burn. Now, I am not against a buildup type of romance, I find it quite entertaining and swoon worthy in some cases, but Luna and the Lie is definitely one of those novels that did not deserve such an elongated buildup of romantic interactions between the main characters, Ripley and Luna.
However, that is not to say that I do not like the characters in the book. A character that stood out for me was Luna Allen. Abused and neglected at a very young age, Luna is forced to run away from home at seventeen. Given a chance at life by Mr. Cooper, she struggles to work hard towards building a career and creating something valuable for herself and her half siblings.
Honestly, at some point in the novel, I felt sorry for Luna. Not only was she not allowed a normal life like other teenagers her age, she also had to bear the burden of catering for her other half siblings. But, I dislike how Mariana made that the whole focus of the plot.
I also felt like because of her past occurrence, Luna allowed anyone and everyone treat her the way they liked. The author also made Luna's negative experiences affect her self-esteem.
Many readers might think it's because she tried to avoid problems in the book, but I think it's simply because she didn't know how to face most of her problems head on. When a guy deliberately messed up a car she was working on, instead of addressing the issue with him, she preferred to fix the problem herself, which is why he purposely kept on repeating the same mistake.
For a heroine and a protagonist, the author would have made her a bit more assertive. As someone who overcame challenges like she did, and went on to build a fulfilling and fantastic life, a little bit of authority and better self-esteem would have made her a flawless and admirable character.
Then there's also Ripley. Ripley is introduced in the novel as a co business associate of Mr. Cooper. He is the gruff, hard faced boss that Luna falls in love with. Ripley is not liked by many of his workers because of his hard demeanor. He is the central point of the romance in the novel. While I liked his mysterious character, because it added spice to the plot, the author held off too long in developing a romantic connection between him and Luna.
For a slow burn, I expected at least a little chemistry here and there between the characters before the climax at the buildup, but Ripley was made out as just a standoffish character and Luna was the one who showed a little interest in him.
If Cooper wasn't married, I might have been forced to assume the romance was about himself and Luna instead, as there was a little show of love on his end, even though it came off as parental love.
However, what made the plot redeemable was Luna. Admittedly, her character was a bit flawed but there is some positivity to be drawn from her character. With her experiences, from her parents who were supposed to protect her, abusing and neglecting her to various obstacle here and there, she could have chosen to be a bitter and resentful person. But she chose to embrace kindness and generosity. Baking cake for each of her coworkers on their different birthdays added a bit of goodness to her character.
Overall, she cared about everyone around her and noticed everything that made them uncomfortable especially her sisters and tried to help them. I also loved how she refused to dwell on the hurt or people that had hurt her. The novel described her as someone who got up every day appreciative of what she had and finding a way ahead. She chose to dwell on the positive as wallowing in misery has never taken anyone ahead in life.
She is really a heroine whose positive character should be emulated. The way she constantly took responsibility for her mistakes and refused to blame others was definitely admirable. I also loved how courageous she was, opening her heart to love after it had been broken by the very first people meant to love her, her parents.
Even though the buildup and romance was too slow, I am glad that Luna and Ripley finally got a chance to love each other. I am also glad that Luna's secret was not too hideous even though Ripley was involved.
In a way, Luna also helped Ripley's character develop. We got to see more of Ripley than just the grunts and nods and hard demeanor he was known for in the beginning. We got to understand why he made some choices and behaved that way.
Out of all Mariana Zapata's book, I wouldn't say this is the best. At most, she did a good work on this book, but I felt she would have done better.
In addition to Luna's positive characteristics, the author would have made her a perfect heroine if she made her character a little bit as assertive as Ripley's.
If you're one of those readers who love a romance story with a younger girl/older guy, or the enemies to lovers kind of plot, then "Luna and the Lie" is a novel you should consider.